My Funny TURK
by Kurosu
Summary: AU, AeReno. Mission 2 UP! Reno & Aeris are put on a kidnapping case that involves their sponsor, President Shinra. Intro to RuRu, Cloudie, and others!
1. Welcome the New Recruit

I have some good news and bad news... but I'll give you the bad one first. I won't be continuing my first AeReno ficcie, _Innocent Seduction_ , due to some personal issues. I deeply apologize to all the eager readers, who have been patient with me for months in wait of the next chapter, but it pains me to tell you that... but perhaps one day... Oh, nevermind.  
  
The good news is THIS ficcie!! I'm excited to work on this one 'cause it's an AeReno romantic comedy to make up for _IS_. It's another AU, but a little light-hearted this time--hence the genres. It's still in the planning stages, so there's possible OOC-ness in the future. Please enjoy this one! *bow deeply* Thank you, and I regret any inconveniences I may have caused you. =6.6=  
  
Squaresoft owns _Final Fantasy VII_... And the following song is "Pushing the Sky" by Seatbelts from the _Cowboy Bebop Movie_. It's a wicked song that I recommend to anyone who enjoys the _CB_ series or loves rock music! It was just PERFECT for Aeris and Reno, with them being err, special agents and all!!  
  
  
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** [** Tuesday morning, 8:59:10 am. Midgar. Slums. Sector Six: Wall Street Market, _Pretty Flower Shoppe_. **]**  
  
On the dot of nine o'clock that morning, the sign to the little, flower shoppe flipped over from 'closed' to 'open' by a woman in her early forties. Her hair was the color of dark-brown, swaying loosely behind her as she oped the shoppe door wide for the start of the business day. Putting on a frilly, white apron, she stepped out onto the sidewalk and inhaled the lovely morning, despite it being the slums. She went out farther from the store and then looked up at the two-story store, where the top half was actually the family residence. She noticed the opened window, and the morning music drifting into the streets,  
  
_'Don't wanna be the one to pop your cherry, girl..._  
_Just jump a train that will bring you back to mama's side...'_  
  
"Sweetie," she called up to the room, "aren't you supposed to be going now?!"  
  
There was a loud crash, causing the woman to cringe, but a reassuring voice told her, "YEAH!! I'm just about done, mother!!"  
  
_'Knock on, knock on,  
_ _Knock on the sky._  
_You keep on knockin', better ask yourself why...'_  
  
  
** ~ An Aeris & Reno Romantic Comedy ~**  
  
**My Funny TURK**  
  
written by K-chan  
  
  
**Mission One: Welcome the New Recruit**  
  
  
**[** Tuesday morning, 10:15:55 am. TURK-I (TURK Institional Headquarters): third floor, restricted area, main lounge. **]**  
  
A red-head plopped onto the comfortable couch, yawning tiredly at having to get up at that time for work even though they haven't had any assignments in the past week. The radio on the low coffee table played quietly in the background as Reno stretched his arms into the air and sprawled across the length of the couch selfishly while his partner strolled over to the counter, where the coffee machine was, and made himself a cup. Rude glanced back at the lazy TURK, who was about to snore away at headquarters and decided that he should make another cup too, but this special one would be caffeinated.  
  
_'Knock on, knock on,  
_ _Knock on the door._  
_Buyin' a one way ticket out of your mind._  
_Knock on, knock on,_  
_Knock on the sky._  
_You keep on knockin', better ask yourself why._  
  
"Man, this sucks," Reno said, tucking a pillow cushion behind his head, with his eyes closed, "Where's all the excitement??! I could just walk into the boss's office and DEMAND some work!"  
  
"That would be a first time," the tall man remarked. He poured the hot coffee into each mug and then took one over to Reno, setting it the coffee table. "But I'm surpised YOU're complaining." He carefully sipped his coffee and decided to sit at the round table to the side of the room to read the newspaper while Reno ignored the morning beverage and reached for the radio, turning it up a bit louder.  
  
_'You keep pushin'._  
_You will see my chilly, yellow eyes,_  
_Only one more time._'  
  
The music boomed noisely in the lounge and the nearby area, nearly causing Rude to choke on the coffee,  
  
_'Don't wanna get your teddy bear mad at me, girl..._  
_So get your pretty slippers on and dance out of here now...'_  
  
He glared at Reno, but the red-hear was already immersed in the music with his eyes closed and his head bobbing slightly to the catchy rhythm.  
  
_'Knock on, knock on,_  
_Knock on the sky._  
_You keep on knockin', better ask yourself why...'_  
  
But thankfully, a blond woman appeared from the hallway, looking distraught into the room. She stalked in and went straight for the radio and turned it off. Reno immediately looked up and saw Elena glaring down at him, "Hey, babe." She was not amused with his antics nor his nonchalant attitude and continued to glare at him. "Oh, you're gettin' older by the second lookin' like that," he chuckled, sitting up. He grabbed the coffee mug and sipped it.  
  
Elena snorted and sat down across from him on the empty couch, folding her arms over her chest, "Have you guys heard?"  
  
"Heard what?" Reno asked, putting the mug back on the table top.  
  
"There's a new recruit coming in today."  
  
"What?! Another?! What's the deal?! YOU just got in not even a month ago, and now we've got another??" He brushed his hands through his wild hair in frustration, "I don't get it! We haven't gotten a job in days, but we're putting more on the pay roll!"  
  
"And YOU're complaining?" the blonde retorted, "When we DO have an assignment, you do your best to ditch it! Reno, you're a man with MANY problems!"  
  
"Hey!" he pouted at the offense. "I have preferences, ya know. I'll put all my effort into the case if it falls under one of three categories: women, booze, or gambling." He chuckled, leaning back casually, "It would be a dream to have all three in ONE case."  
  
Elena groaned wearily, "Like I said, you're a man with many, MANY problems. Why did they EVER let you become a TURK, I'll never know."  
  
"'Cause I'm irresistable!" He kicked his feet up onto the table, "So what's this new recruit like? Guy or girl?"  
  
She shrugged, "Don't know. I haven't meet her, or him, yet. News spread fast in this building."  
  
"Hmm... well, i hope it's a girl. We need a female touch to this group." As quickly as the comment left his mouth, the fist of a furious Elena greeted him after that, sending him and the HEAVY couch flying into the wall. Rude stood up, staring at the powerful punch, and made a mental note not to piss off their female comrade. He continued to stand there stiffly, when suddenly Elena whipped her head to him and glared. Sweating under her terrible gaze, he reseated himself and sipped his coffee as if nothing had happened. Elena crinkled her nose in a frown and then sat back down, grabbing a magazine from the table, and began to flip through it.  
  
"Aawe man," Reno groaned, climbing back to an upright position, and adjusting his jaw, "That just proved it." Elena's hands trembled and unintentionally ripped the magazine in half, and she was now glaring straight at him again, but Reno just smiled smuggly, rubbing his injury. Rude noticed the tense situation from behind his dark shades and remained silent. He eventually thank the gods when Tseng appeared, staring at Elena then Reno... Elena, then Reno... and shook his head, not wanting to know.  
  
Tseng coughed to get their attention, and Reno stood up eagerly, "So, who's the newbie?!" The dark-haired man gave him a brief, odd look before moving to the side to present the new recruit stepping through the doorway. Reno blinked, along with the other two, at the young brunette with eyes of emerald. She stood next to Tseng with her hands clasped behind her back, wearing the usual TURK suit of dark-blue, but her braided hair was tied back with a pink ribbon that didn't match her outfit. She still contrasted the mad besider her greatly with her bright smile and short stature. "Hi!" she chirped, giving a little wave.  
  
"Ya... umm... she... wha..." came Reno's confused voice, "Hi." She was a cutie, but she couldn't be the new TURK. She looked too innocent, too naive--just not TURK material. Or maybe she could just be the new secretary, or intern at least! Yeah, that's it, and then he could flirt with her every day if he wanted too. He smiled to himself, and that just got everyone wondering what in the world was going on in his head.  
  
"This is Aeris Gainsborough," Tseng introduced, "She will be our fifth member."  
  
"NO WAY!" Reno and Elena shouted simultaneously. "This's a joke, right?!" the red-head continued while Aeris looked at him oddly, not understanding why he couldn't take the information so easily. "There's no way she can be a TURK. She's... she's just too cute and innocent, which I don't mind, but still!"  
  
Aeris giggled while Tseng said, "It's not a joke. Aeris is now a TURK."  
  
"Besides," Rude piped in as he went to refill his coffee mug, "April Fool's Day isn't until another two and half months."  
  
Reno glared at his back and said sarcastically, "Thank you for the reminder."  
  
"And since you seem so enthusiastic about it," Tseng directed his sentence to Reno, "I will let you show Aeris around and fill her in on our rules." Not even hesitating, he nodded in comprehension and looked over at Aeris. Tseng continued, "Rude, Elena, see me in my first in thirty minutes."  
  
"Yes, sir!" they saluted.  
  
  
_'Knock on, knock on,_  
_Knock on the door._  
_Be happy living in your nuclear life._  
_Knock on, knock on,  
_ _Knock on the sky._  
_You keep on knockin', better ask yourself why...'_  
  
  
**[** Very late morning (or almost the afternoon), 11:57:03 am. TURK-I Headquarters: first floor, west wing, unrestricted area, cafeteria. **]**  
  
About every five minutes, he would steal a glance at her profile out of the corner of her eye and smile. She was too absorbed in their tour to notice his happy, roaming eyes. She was definitely a looker, and the blue suit was more appealing on her fine figure than Elena's. So maybe having her around won't be so bad, but he still couldn't get it out of his head that she was an official TURK. Sure, the agency had lots of employees, but only four had been given the title of TURK, and now it was five with Aeris. Even so, he knew Elena went through a lot of intense training as he and Rude did, but Aeris was just too fragile to go through what he and others did.  
  
They stopped in front of some glass doors, and he gestured to the area beyond the panes, where people were already crowding into, "And this is the cafeteria. Hmm, lunch hour already?"  
  
"Ooh, perfect timing!" she said, clasping her hand together with glee, "Let's get lunch then!" She then grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. She looked around until she spotted the line and proceeded over there, still holding onto his arm. He was smiling the whole time, letting her pull him along.  
  
They waited patiently in line with her at times on tippy toes so she could peer over the crowd at the day's menu, and Reno took this chance to find out more about her, "So Aeris... why did you join the TURKs?"  
  
"Hmm?" She looked at him. "Well, I never thought about it before, but since the chief asked, I did."  
  
"What?" He stared at her if she had suddenly transformed into a man that instant, "You mean the head of the TURKs division ASKED you to join us??!"  
  
She nodded and thought it over, "Okay, he may not of asked..." Reno smirked at the retracted statement, knowing it was too good to be true, but she said musingly, "He was actually BEGGING my mother to let me join."  
  
He facefaulted and quickly recover to ask, "Why?? I still want to know why someone so innocent-looking as you would be begged to join a high-trained group as us?? It doesn't make sense."  
  
"I guess not," she shrugged, "But you shouldn't let appearances fool you, Reno." She smiled and continued down the line, leaving him to wonder about her advice and to stare after her figure. Being Reno after all, his eyes wandered a bit low to her... "Reno, c'mon!" she called back for him to hurry up.  
  
_'You keep pushin'._  
_You will feel my frozen, beastly bite,_  
_Only one more time._  
  
_Pushing the sky...'_  
  
  
**Next Mission... Never Hit a Girl (or You'll Regret It)...**  
  
Assignments are coming in like crazy! But with Rude and Elena off doing their jobs, it's up to Reno and Aeris to deal with a kidnapping case that involves the Shinras, the wealthiest and most influential family on the Planet--not to mention the TURKs' sponsor! Aeris is really excited with her first mission, but Reno has a bad feeling, now that he has to look out for her since she's still new and all, but will he really NEED to... And why was Aeris REALLY hired?? Well, he's just about to find out...  
  
  
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Okay, so my humor may be a little different than everyone else's, but hopefully, it will get funnier... Anyway please review, okies? It just let's me know who's interested in this new light-hearted series. Thanksie!  
  
Oh and check out the cover for this ficcie: http://www.mediaminer.org/fanart/view.php?id=17675 ! =^-^=  
  



	2. Never Hit a Girl

Umm, let me rephrase this sentence (from the preview of the last chapter): _'And why was Aeris REALLY hired??'_ to... **Why did Aeris ACCEPT the job?!!** And there seemed to be confusion on who is really the head honcho of the TURKs Division, but I believe that's MY fault. It's not Tseng, who's just the 'leader' of the TURKs. Their actual boss/chief/whatever will remain a mystery...  
  
Oh, and I also changed Aeris's surname back to Gainsborough 'cause umm, it'll just be important later on, that ties into why she becomes a TURK. Anyway, THIS new mission will cause a little more trouble for the crew, at least for Reno... RuRu DOES come into this, but not like most people think... as well as other characters, though most people won't like the roles I've given their favorite characters, but it's all in fun. I seem to have gone all out with this chapter--quite longer than I had expected to write. But please enjoy. (Next story to be updated: _Crimson Kiss_, which will either be tonight or tomorrow.)  
  
Oh, and there's some cursing in here... but umm, it's really no surprise--nothing compared to _Cetra Muyo OAV_ though. Hee. *grin grin* I'm still working on that story... every now and then.  
  
  
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**[** Thursday morning, 9:52:29 am. TURK-I Headquarters: third floor, random hall. **]**  
  
Yawning, he stood slouched forward in the hallway, waiting for the elevators to arrive. He lazily watched the numbers ascend from the lobby up to the third floor, and the bell made a quiet ring as the doors slid open. He stepped into the elevator and unfortunately had to put up with the cheesy music that played. He had threatened them to change the tune for a more upbeat piece, but it apparently didn't get through the human resource people. He just made a mental note to execute his devious threat the next day since he just wanted to get some coffee right now.  
  
And it must not have been his day since Rude and Elena took off on an assignment, taking the only coffee machine on the whole floor with them. Either that, or Rude was very good at playing 'hide everything from Reno's sight' game. Or maybe it was Elena who just wanted to get back at him for putting gel on the toilet in the ladies' restroom from the day before. He leaned forward, chuckling at the hysteric reaction the blonde had.  
  
The elevator stopped on the first floor, and he exited and immediately saw Aeris chatting with some of the male employees. He decided to play it cool and head straight to the cafeteria, but in a way that would get her attention too. And being the smooth player that he was, Aeris did catch the wild, red hair and called out to him. "RENO!!" she waved. He gave her his trademark grin and continued to his destination, but he saw from the corner of his blue eyes Aeris excusing herself from her present company and made her way to him.  
  
'Reno, one point,' he chuckled inwardly, 'and the rest of the male population, ZIP!'  
  
"Good morning, Reno!" she greeted, walking along with him, "Are you getting breakfast?!" She was looking at him the whole time as they entered the cafeteria, not because there was some sort of cuteness to him but his white shirt was untucked and his appearance was disheveled as his hair was. "Umm, Reno... doesn't it say in the TURKs' code book about proper dress?" she pondered.  
  
"Except for Reno," he said. She stopped and blinked at him. "There's a fine print that says 'except for Reno'," he explained with a smile. He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her along, "C'mon, it's my treat this morning. No need to burn in brain cells now."  
  
"Since you put it that way," she giggled.  
  
  
** ~ An Aeris & Reno Romantic Comedy ~**  
  
**My Funny TURK**  
  
written by K-chan  
  
  
**Mission Two: Never Hit a Girl (Or You'll Regret It)**  
  
  
Five minutes later, Reno was staring at his cup of coffee AND his empty wallet. He then looked over at Aeris next to him and sighed at the huge feast she was having for breakfast. She was so content with the food from her smile. He quickly stuffed his wallet away when she looked at him, somewhat concerned, "Are you sure you don't want any of this? I just couldn't help it... I left in such a hurry this morning, I forgot about breakfast..."  
  
"Hey, don't worry 'bout it. It's no big deal. I just came down for another cup of coffee, that's all." He added musingly, "And enjoy the company of a cutie." Unfortunately Aeris had missed his last sentence since she was busy eating to fulfill her famished stomache. Reno glanced at his coffee again and sighed. But small conversations were made, mostly concerning their work. "I heard Rude and Elena were sent out on some hunt, right?" she asked, "I wonder what that's like..."  
  
"I didn't get much details on it, but some failed laboratory specimen escaped," he told her, "Very dangerous, I heard, having killed two people already and wounded five others."  
  
"Oooh, that sounds exciting!"  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her comment, having not expect her to say something like that. He thought she would recoil in fear like frightened, helpless girls do, but apparently, Aeris was not the helpless girl type that she seemed to be. He had gotten to know her a little better since Tseng had unofficially put him as her partner for the first few assignments, but he wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse. On the one hand, it would be a great break from being around silent, weird Rude sometimes and hang out with a babe, but the down side was to look out for the new recruit, and she was a girl at that. It was probably also fair since Rude had to take on Elena when she joined the group.  
  
In fifteen minutes flat, Aeris had cleared out all the plates, and Reno commented in amazement, "Your boyfriend must be broke a lot, taking you out."  
  
She giggled and hit him playfully on the arm, "No, silly!"  
  
He smirked, "No that you don't have a boyfriend; no that he's not broke; or no he doesn't take you out?"  
  
"No he's not broke or doesn't take me out," she smiled, "because I don't have a boyfriend."  
  
"Good," he touched her nose and pinched it, "'cause I'd like to take you out to dinner... end up totally broke... but it would all be worthwhile."  
  
"Reno--"  
  
Aeris was never able to give him her answer because a voice boomed over the speakers, "Reno! Aeris!! Report to Tseng's office ASAP!! I repeate, Reno and Aeris, report to Tseng's office ASAP!!" Without another word, Aeris and Reno cleared out of the cafeteria while people watched the two semi-professional-looking TURKs reported to their leader. They were the core of their agency, that mainly brought in the money. So in a sense, the other employees were only hired for show (in the story to make it look like a big company).  
  
  
**[** Same morning, 10:37:13 am. TURK-I Headquarters: third floor, Tseng's office. **]**  
  
Aeris and Reno assembled into the large office, saluting their leader seated behind the dark oak desk with the proper stance. Tseng gestured them to sit down and handed each a file folder. "We've just accepted another case, but this one is not like our usual. This concerns our sponor, Shinra Company."  
  
Aeris was listening to him while she skimmed through the files, "How horrible! His son has been kidnapped!!"  
  
"So, we've dealt with kidnapping cases before," Reno said, leaning back in seat without a care. His folder was set at the edge of Tseng's desk, left unviewed and unopened, but Tseng didn't say a thing about it because Reno was his best agent (so far). "Have the kidnappers made contact yet?"  
  
"As far as I know, not yet, but we can't handle this assignment like the others. Rufus Shinra's life is on the line."  
  
"And so are the TURKs' future."  
  
"In any case, I am putting you two on it, AND I will be part of this mission to ensure its success. I'm not doubting your skills, but another experienced agent is needed since this will be Aeris's first mission. We'll be seeing President Shinra at 1100 hours, so prepare to head out in five minutes."  
  
"Yes, sir!"  
  
  
**[** Same morning, 10:42:22 am. TURK-I Headquarters: main building, outside. **]**  
  
The two security guards outside the building held the doors opened as Tseng walked through, followed by Reno and Aeris on either side of him. Tseng took out his sunglasses and only glanced at Reno, who grinned. Tseng donned on the glasses, and Reno pulled his own from on top of his head down to his face and looked at Aeris. "You've got yours, right?" he asked.  
  
"Umm, yes," she replied, taking her own sunglasses from her breast pocket and hesitantly put them on the brim of her nose.  
  
"It's a TURK thing."  
  
And three, cool-looking TURKs stood at the curb and waited for their ride while the blazing, morning sun bore down upon them. Thank goodness for their dark shades!  
  
  
**[** Same morning, 10:58:53 am. Shinra Mansion: private study. **]**  
  
Tseng stood stiffly before a really big desk with beads of sweat forming on his head, while Aeris and Reno where off to the side, trying their best to suppress their giggles and maintain a professional air about them. But good gracious, who could not laugh at the plump, middle-aged man sitting in his big chair with pink curlers at the end of his moustache?! Reno's face was so red that he would've matched his hair while Aeris was tearing so badly like she was about to die laughing.  
  
"Sorry, sir!" Reno cut in the eerie silence, trying to hold his laughter in. He immediately ran for the exit.  
  
"Me too!" Aeris giggled and ran after him. When the door shut, two insane laughters were heard from the hallway, and poor Tseng stood there, so still and embarrassed at having been left with their client, who was rather confused about the ordeal. The clock ticked by and still, the laughter echoed through the mansion and their heads.  
  
Ten minutes later, things seemed normal again--at least the curlers were gone, but the red-head and brunette were still giggling like little kids behind their teacher's back. The old man Shinra handed a piece of paper to Tseng, "This is the ransom note found by the maid yesterday taped to our dog." The note was all written out using magazine lettering to hid the culprit's handwriting, demanding ten million gils. "Rufus had been missing for three hours since the note was discovered," the man explained, "He had an afternoon tutoring session yesterday, but the instructor informed me that he never showed up."  
  
Tseng didn't see anything out of the ordinary with the letter and was about to hand it back to Shinra when Aeris asked to see it. He gave it to her and turned back to Shinra for further questioning, "Have they contacted you on the drop-off location?"  
  
He nodded, "A few minutes before you arrived. Tomorrow morning on the 5:15 train to Sector Seven. I'm suppose to leave the suitcase underneath the seat and walk off when the train stops in Sector Seven." Since they now had the information, Tseng began to discuss the procedures on what they would do now while Reno looked over at Aeris, who busy with the ransom note.  
  
"You think something's up with the letter?" he asked her.  
  
"No, not really," she said, holding the paper close to her nose, and inhaled a faint scent. "Hmm, _Honeybee V_."  
  
"Come again?"  
  
"_Honeybee V_ was a very popular perfume a few years back, but ever since it was tested on poor bunnies, sales plummeted, and the company went out of business. The rest of the production was dumped, but I'm sure some are still around on the black market." She giggled, "I used to wear it too."  
  
Reno took the letter from her hands and tried to smell it, but his nose wasn't as keen as her, and he couldn't make out the exact fragrance, even if he had been around many women. "_Honeybee V_, huh? So, you think a woman's behind this?"  
  
She shrugged, "I'm not sure, but she could be the one who made this note." She looked thoughtful for a moment and added, "Or a guy, who happens to like the perfume." Reno made a disgusting face, and she laughed.  
  
Tseng turned to them, "Aeris, Reno. I want you two on that train before AND after President Shinra."  
  
"At five in the morning?!" the red-head groaned, "Aawe man!"  
  
"Yes, sir," Aeris replied. "Undercover work, right?"  
  
"Right," Tseng said. He paused and gave Aeris the look over, noting all innocent she looked and no one could tell she was a TURK either. "It might be better with Aeris. But Reno will be on the train first... as the bum." Reno frowned, but Aeris couldn't help but giggle. "Then Aeris will get on with President Shinra, but don't stay too close to him."  
  
"Oh I know!" she chirped, raising her hand, "I could sell flowers! I used to run around and sell flowers when I was little!" Reno sat back and smiled at her enthusiasm."  
  
He nodded, "That's fine. I'll be nearby keeping track on all three of you. The communications link will be kept open, but only report anyone suspicious. The rest of the department will be dispatched to the area for backup, but it's up to the two of you." They both nodded.  
  
  
**[** Same day, that evening, 05:17:02 am. Elsewhere... **]**  
  
Elena was trudging through what looked like a thick jungle, sweating like crazy. Rude was up in front, leading the way and keeping a cool, level head in such humid weather. She stopped to take a drink of water from her canteen and silently cursed her luck for being stuck with the harsh mission. Reno should've been in her place, but no, he had to take care of Aeris. When she got back, she'd get her revenge.  
  
"I found his tracks," Rude said, "but watch your step."  
  
**S * Q * U * I * S * H**  
  
Elena cringed at the soggy sound of her shoe stepping in something. She was afraid to look down, but she had no choice. It was her biggest fear: she had stepped in animal poop! "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" she screamed.  
  
  
**[** Same evening, some time later, 07:30:49 am. Slums. Sector Six: Wall Street Market, _Pretty Flower Shoppe_, second floor, kitchen. **]**  
  
Aeris was clearing the dinner plates into the kitchen while her mother was washing the dishes. The woman smiled contently as she hummed, but she finally stopped and said, "Tomorrow's your big day, then?"  
  
"Yes," the girl replied. "I don't think I can sleep tonight! I'm so excited!"  
  
"Well, you're still going to bed early. You need all the energy you can get. But don't underestimate your opponents now, Aeris."  
  
"I know, mother."  
  
"Your father would be so proud," she sighed.  
  
Aeris paused, holding the dirty plates in her hand, as she glanced over at the small altar, where a portrait of a man hung. There were a few more photos: one full-body shot of him in his blue, TURK uniform. You looked so distinguished in those clothes, and now the girl was following in his footsteps, in hopes of one day finding the truth. "Father," she whispered, "please take care... wherever you are..."  
  
  
**[** Friday morning, 05:00:24 am. Slums. On the 5:15 train.** ]**  
  
Once more, he was up at the crack of dawn, yawning like crazy in his corner of the train compartment--he would have to break that habit soon. He looked at his watched, noting the time, before pulling the cap down to hide his tiresome eyes. He was the only one on the train at the moment, but in a few more minutes, things would pick up. He could hear Tseng loud and clear from the other end, informing him that Aeris was at her post, waiting for the train to arrive at the Sector Six Train Station.  
  
And on the dot at 05:15, the train pulled to a stop. The doors opened and let in any passengers, among them was President Shinra keeping his eyes alert, an old couple, a high-strung businessman, the ever innocent-looking Aeris in a pink dress and carrying a basket-full of flowers, a bum that could've passed for Reno's cousin in appearance except for the blonde hair peeking out beneath his cap, and three drunks staggered in from a very late night's party.  
  
Shinra found an isolated seat in the middle and carefully set the suitcase beneath his seat. The old couple sat across from him while the drunkards just dropped dead anywhere, even on the dirty floor. The blonde bum huddled in the opposite corner of Reno, that made him wonder if there was something fascinating with bums and corners. The businessman took a seat next to Shinra, much to the older man's annoyance. Finally Aeris went over to the men and asked them, "Would you like to buy a flower?" Shinra declined, but the other man did buy one from her. "Thank you!" She then proceeded over to the couple, who also bought one from her, and made small talk with her.  
  
The train had already resumed its schedule by this time, and seeing that there were still more buyers on board, she walked up to the blonde bum and asked him if he would like to buy, but he shook his head. She decided to leave the unconscious men alone and went over to Reno, "Would you like to buy a flower, sir?"  
  
"A gil, huh?"  
  
"Yes, only a gil," she smiled.  
  
"Does a kiss come with that?" he grinned, lifting his cap just a bit to see her eye to eye.  
  
"Well..." she said hestitantly, "How about a second one for half price?"  
  
"No kiss, no deal," he grunted and pretended to go back to sleep, chuckling inwardly. Aeris just shrugged and returned to her seat. And for the rest of the ride till the Sector Seven Train Station, the only conversations that existed were between Aeris and the couple and the one-sided one by the businessman with Shinra, who appeared to be involuntarily twitching in annoyance.  
  
Aeris seemed to hold her breath when the train announced their arrival at Sector Seven Station and came to a stop. She remained on the train but bidded farewell to the elderly couple who left, along with Shinra. Now only, she, Reno, the businessman, the drunkards, and the blonde bum were left in the compartment as more passengers climbed on: a young, attractive woman with long, dark hair sporting an autumn ensemble with a leather trenchcoat; an older woman with an infant in her arms; two more businessmen; and a rather plump lady carrying a big, black bag.  
  
The new arrivals were scattered about, but it was the big lady that sat down in Shinra's empty seat. The pretty woman sat in the corner across from the blonde bum. Like Reno, Aeris was quite suspicious of the woman sitting over the money-filled suitcase, but it wasn't until the familiar fragrance drifted in the air that she changed her mind. "Those are beautiful," the attractive woman commented, pointing to the basket. "Are you selling those?"  
  
"Yes, would you like to buy one? They're only a gil each."  
  
"That would be great!" she exclaimed, sitting down next to Aeris, as she pulled out some gils from her purse. "I'll take two." The purchase was made and so was small chat. "I see these all the time in this flower shoppe in Sector Six, but I always seem to forget to buy them every time."  
  
"You mean the _Pretty Flower Shoppe_. My mother owns it."  
  
"A family business then?" Aeris nodded. "But why are you out so early selling these yourselves?"  
  
"I actually grow these myself, but since my mother's birthday is coming soon, I wanted to make some extra money to get her gift."  
  
"Oh, how sweet!" she sighed, "I wish someone I knew was THAT thoughtful. Oh, by the way, my name is Tifa."  
  
"I'm Aeris. Are you heading to work? You're awfully early as I am."  
  
"Pretty much. I'm helping a friend out with his work," she winked, putting a finger to her lips, "It's top secret though. Hehee."  
  
"Really?" she said, genuinely surprised, "So you're not a model or anything? When you stepped on here, I was certain you modeled for the Avalanche Agency."  
  
"These clothes?" she questioned, tugging on her jacket sleeve, "Naah, I got each of these from separate sales in Wall Street, but they do go well together, huh?"  
  
Aeris nodded, "And that perfume you're wearing, it's so cute and refreshing. What brand is it? I'm thinking my mother would like it."  
  
"It's _Honeybee V_, hard to come by these days and not many wear them." She leaned close to Aeris and whispered in her ear, "But if you really want some, I could get them for you at a very cheap price."  
  
Everyone on board had heard the whole conversation between Aeris and the stranger, but it was Reno, who knew his partner's real intention was to let him know the Tifa girl was somehow connected to the kidnapping case. The train came to another stop, and it was the one the big lady was getting off at, as well as the businessmen and the blonde bum. Her leg accidently kicked her bag down, so she bent down to pick it up, noticing that a suitcase was beneath her seat. She took it out from under there and asked if anyone knew who it belonged too. Aeris's suspicions were right when she saw Tifa flinch at seeing the suitcase brought to everyone's attention.  
  
"I'll just bring it to the station master," the woman suggested.  
  
"Oh, I can do that for you!" Tifa jumped in, walking over to her, "I'm sure you're quite busy with your schedule. It'll be an easy trek for me." The woman nodded, waiting for the men to pass by her so she could hand over the suitcase to Tifa, when Reno jumped up from his position with a gun pointed at Tifa.  
  
"Hold it right there, gorgeous!" he ordered, but he count on the blonde bum pulling a gun out and aimed it at the nearest passenger: Aeris.  
  
"I don't think so, buddy," he said, lifting his cap up so his blue eyes could stare at the red-head with triumph, "unless you want this pretty girl to die." Reno threw a series of curses, but he didn't retreat yet. "Didn't you hear me?" he said, grabbing Aeris by the wrist and pulled her in front of him. He then glanced over to Tifa, who had stood there in shock like she had just been exposed to her dirty crimes, "Tif, snap out of it and get the money."  
  
"Oh right," she said quietly and took the suitcase from the woman's hand, "Sorry for the trouble." She left the compartment with the blonde man right after, taking Aeris as their frightened hostage. Reno couldn't do anything but run after them, only to be force back into hiding by the raid of bullets. When he didn't hear any more shooting, he peeked out and couldn't find them anywhere in sight.  
  
"S**t! I've lost them!" he cursed out of frustration, but partly to let Tseng know.  
  
Of course, the TURK leader knew from the way Aeris's position was moving away from Reno on the monitor. The initial tracking device on them was to have an easy visual of where his agents were, but now it was coming in handy since it was apparent the kidnappers had no idea that Aeris was one of their guys.  
  
  
**[** Same morning, 05:39:21 am. Slums. Sector Eight. Somewhere: Secret hideout. **]**  
  
A large, dark-skinned man was lounging around on the couch, reading a magazine while the pounding in the background grew louder, accompanied by a voice demanding, "LET ME OUT OF HERE!!! I'M HUNGRY!! AND THIRSTY!! DID YOU HEAR ME?!! LET ME OUT!! WHEN MY BODYGUARDS GET HERE, THEY'LL KICK YOUR ***** SO HIGH UP YOUR PANTS, IT'LL TAKE A MIRACLE FOR YOU TO PEE!!!  
  
Irritated, the man throw the magazine aside and stomped over to the locked door. "Shuddap in there before I stuff somethin' up YOUR butt!!"  
  
"OH YEAH?!! I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY, STUPID!!!"  
  
"Yer askin' for it, kid!" he growled and stuck a key in the keyhole to unlock it. He opened the door, but the room was so dark. He looked around the room for the owner of the annoying voice but was greeted with a hard kick to his shin. His curses would've easily matched Reno's as he hopped around on one leg, and a young boy about nine-years old ran pass him. He turned around and made a face at the big man. "Come back, you li'l twerp!!" he yelled, limping after the boy.  
  
"Sucker!" he chuckled and was about to open the front door when it flew open and knocked him to the floor. He looked up and saw his kidnappers and a new face. The blonde man grabbed him roughly, "HEY!! LET ME GO!! YOU HEARD ME, MISTER SPIKEY!!!"  
  
"Not yet, brat," he said and dragged him back into the room, "And if you call me that ever again, you're getting nothing to eat."  
  
"That's more like a miracle!" the boy retorted, "Your food's disgusting!" He was promptly shoved into the dark room, followed by Aeris.  
  
"Cloud! Don't treat Aeris like that!" Tifa admonished. "I'm really sorry you got into this mess, Aeris," she sincerely apologized and locked the door.  
  
"Dammit, Barret," Cloud scolded, "You let that brat trick you?!"  
  
Aeris sat up, caressing her wrist that Cloud had such a good grip on, and looked around the dark room, only making out the outline of the boy sitting against the stack of boxes. She crawled over to him and whispered, "Hey there. You're Rufus Shinra, right?"  
  
He looked at her the best he could in the dark, but he did remember she had long, brown hair and was very pretty. "How did you know my name?" he asked.  
  
"Don't worry about that," she said, "But tell me, are there just three of them?"  
  
He nodded, "Yeah, it was the lady and the spikey head that took me here. Then the big man came in when they went out."  
  
"Did you get that, Tseng?" she asked into her earpiece that continuously kept the communications opened between them, and she received an affirmative from his end and news that they were on their way."  
  
"Who were you talking to?" Rufus asked curiously.  
  
"Just some friends who are coming to take you home," she smiled. He was about to noisely cheer, but she put a hand over his mouth, "But we have to be quiet until they come. They didn't hurt you or anything, did they?"  
  
"No, but I did hurt them," he chuckled, recalling that kick he gave Barret. "Hey, since you know my name, what's yours?"  
  
"Aeris. Aeris Gainsborough."  
  
"Aeris... That's a pretty name."  
  
"Thank you. I think Rufus is a good name too. Very strong and powerful."  
  
  
**[** Same morning, 05:47:42 am. Slums. Sector Eight. Outside secret hideout. **]**  
  
Tseng and Reno were hidden in the shadows of the nearby rundown buildings. He could still hear Aeris and Rufus chatting like old friends, but now that they were ready to pounce on the kidnappers, everyone had to be ready with Rufus's safety as first priority. "Aeris," Tseng called, "I'm living Rufus in your hands. Stay out of the way until you see an opportunity, I want you to get him out of there." He then turned to Reno, "And I want you to cover for them."  
  
Suddenly they heard firing across the area. The shooting came from the building, targeting their backup crew. "S**t, they found us out," Reno said lowly. "I'm going in from the back."  
  
  
**[** Are you getting tired of this?? Time isn't changing that much during action... **]**  
  
Aeris held Rufus to her as she ducked behind the door as it opened. The shooting had already begun outside, but all she had was a small gun strapped around her inner thigh. That was just enough for personal protection or to slow down a pursuer. From the light source outside the room, the young woman was armed. "Rufus? Aeris?" she called, "Come on out. Your friends are here to get you." Aeris lurched forward, slamming the door against a surprised Tifa, and at the same time grabbed the armed hand and crushed the door on her arm. Tifa cursed at the pain searing through her arm as the TURK retrieved the weapon from her. She quickly pressed her body against the door, and with her free hand, she grabbed hold of Tifa's arm and pulled her into the room.  
  
"What the--?!"  
  
Aeris had the gun pointed to Tifa's head, "Sorry, Tifa, but I have no choice."  
  
"So, you were with them all along," she seethed, only because she had thought an innocent girl was dragged into their kidnapping ploy and had felt guilty about that. "How dare you tricked us!!!"  
  
"Well, you shouldn't trust what you see so easily," she said calmly. "Rufus, please stay here, okay?"  
  
"Okay, but you be careful, Aeris."  
  
Aeris nodded and then pulled Tifa into the next room but remained hidden among the rubbish from Cloud's and Barret's busy eyes at the other end of the room. They were too preoccuppied to take notice of anything else, and most of all, the gunshots were loud enough to give a week's worth of headaches if it prolonged.  
  
Not caring about her own life, Tifa called out to them, "CLOUD, BE CAREFUL!!" At his name, he turned around to them, but Aeris had yanked Tifa to the side.  
  
"Forget them, Barret!" Cloud ordered, "We've gotta get Tifa and get outta here!" At his command, the two men circled around Aeris's hiding place with gun ready to shoot anything that moved from there. Suddenly Tifa was shoved out to them, and if neither didn't have quick reflexes, they wouldn't have stopped themselves in time from shooting Tifa into swiss cheese. "Tif! Are you all right?!" He really shouldn't have asked her a stupid question at that time because the pile of boxes and whatnot came tumbling down on them. While they were busy trying to knock away the miscellaneous objects, Cloud shot randomly at the area behind the junk, but Aeris had rolled out to the other end with one gun aimed at his head and a smaller one towards Tifa.  
  
"Gotcha," she smiled. She seemed to have everything under control, but Reno just had to make his entrance, crashing through the side window, and quickly got to his feet only to realize the game was over. "Hi, Reno," she called from her position on the floor, "I was wondering when you would get here."  
  
"Uuh, yeah," he chuckled nervously, "I kinda got lost in the dark."  
  
  
**[** At the rise of the morning sun... **]**  
  
At the rise of the morning sun, Cloud and company were arrested by the local police and secured in the van to be taken to prison. But the TURKs really underestimated the threesome team because their heads quickly turned away from the sun to the officers from the van were punted out of the vehicle, and it suddenly took off at high speed down the road. "Damn!" Reno growled, "There goes the neighborhood."  
  
"They're quite interesting people," Aeris noted thoughtfully.  
  
"AERIS!!" They turned to the voice and saw Rufus running up to the female TURK and pretty much glomped her. "Aeris! You were SO awesome!!! You tricked them so bad!!! Having those boxes fall on them, and then surprised them with two guns!! Wow!!!" All the while he was praising her, he hugged her so tightly and possessively around the waist, and for some strange reason, it bothered Reno. "Thank you for saving me!!!"  
  
"Okay, kid, break it up here!" Reno interrupted the touching moment and pried an unwilling Rufus away from his partner.  
  
Rufus slapped his hand away, "And who are you to tell what to do?!!"  
  
"Reno of the TURKs, partner to the woman who saved your life, rich boy."  
  
"Oh yeah!" The blonde boy turned to Aeris and took her hand like a gentleman and kissed it. "As a thank you for saving me today, I shall take you on a date!" Reno facefaulted.  
  
Aeris giggled, "How sweet of you, Rufus!"  
  
Tseng sighed and looked at the readers, "And that is the end of today's mission."  
  
  
**Next Mission... Look Sexy in Black Leather (and Pretty Jewels)**** ...**  
  
Yaay, Aeris gets to play dress up with a bunch of expensive jewels! This is a great opportunity for the promised date, but how will Reno take it? And will these be enough to lure out the sneaky, jewelry thief?! Or must little Rufus get involved once more in the case? To catch a thief, you must become one!  
  
  
** ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~**  
  
  
RuRu as a nine-year-old?!! Shoot, I'm a total AeRuf fanatic, but since RuRu would eventually be in the story and this was an AeReno piece, I decided to make him a kid--kinda a spoiled brat... And not to mention his BIG crush on Aeris, much to Reno's annoyance! *LOL* Poor Reno-chan!  
  
**SD-Rufus:** [as a kid, latches onto Aeris's leg] Poor nothin'! Aeris-chan is MINE!! She's MY girlfriend!  
**SD-Aeris:** *sweatdrop*  
**SD-Reno:** [glaring down at him] What the hell are you doing?!! [ready to pry the boy off and strangle him]  
  
*huge sweatdrop* But it makes for some interesting comedy. And don't worry, that won't be the last of Cloud-tachi... Sorrie, I kinda rushed through the ending... not much of a gunfight--I'm just not good at those... =^-^;=  
  



End file.
